The present invention relates to a wheel assembly for a vehicle, and more particularly to a wheel assembly for a material handling vehicle such as a pallet truck.
Vehicles, such as material handling vehicles (e.g., pallet trucks, reach trucks, counterbalance trucks, tow tractors, order pickers, etc.), utility carts, wagons, etc. incorporate wheels in a variety of roles, such as a drive wheel, a steering wheel, a support wheel, or some combination thereof. In some configurations, the wheel assembly includes a caster wheel. All of the wheels will wear over time and will eventually require maintenance to repair or replace the wheel.
In the material handling industry increased load carried by the wheels, smaller wheel diameters, and higher rotational velocities of the wheels tend to exacerbate the wear, further impacting the useful life of a wheel.
A material handling vehicle, and in particular, a pallet truck is often equipped with a main drive wheel and one or more additional wheels. These additional wheels, which may be casters, are included, for example, to enhance handling and maneuverability. Although casters behave well when properly maintained, it can be possible for the caster to fall out of adjustment as the drive wheel wears. Adjusting casters can be a time consuming process.
Traditional casters require periodic adjustment to compensate for drive wheel wear. This adjustment is normally done by adding or removing shims between the caster and the vehicle to raise or lower the caster. The adjustment process can be labor intensive. In certain cases, to adjust the caster, the vehicle must be elevated and the caster must be removed before shims can be added or removed.
More advanced casters have adjustment screws that can raise or lower the caster to facilitate periodic adjustments. The adjustment screws can be accessed from the side on some designs and from the top on others. In this case, the casters can be adjusted without removing the caster but the adjustment point is under the vehicle. Top adjust casters provide an easier access point but require a hole in the operator floor.
Fundamentally, a disadvantage of current caster systems for material handling vehicles is the necessity for periodic adjustment. Therefore, a need exists for an improved wheel assembly for a vehicle that reduces the frequency of periodic adjustments of the caster wheels. Furthermore, a need exists for a means for providing a definitive indication to assist maintenance technicians in determining when drive wheel or caster wheel repair or replacement is required.